Sociology of the Family
SOC 640 examines family life from a sociological perspective, exploring families as social institutions, patterns of family change, and families and inequality using insights from demography, economics, history, and anthropology.
Summary
Past student reviews · Christine Schwartz
The review noted that requirements were clear, though it did not specify the volume of reading or assignments. A difficulty rating of 3 suggests a moderate level of academic demand.
What you’ll be able to do
Analyze the family as both a private and public institution, drawing on sociological theories to explain how families function across different historical and cultural contexts.
Critically evaluate how race, class, gender, and immigration status intersect to shape diverse family structures, roles, and experiences within contemporary American society.
Apply sociological methods to investigate family life, including designing interview guides, conducting interviews, and analyzing qualitative data in relation to secondary sources.
Assess public debates and media representations of families using a sociological lens, identifying how ideologies and assumptions about "the family" are constructed and contested.
Produce original sociological arguments in writing and orally, synthesizing empirical research and theoretical concepts.
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
↗All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course mapJunior standing
- Junior standing
This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Prerequisite text tree
- Junior standing
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
CHRISTINE SCHWARTZ is recorded teaching in Fall 2007, Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2012, Fall 2017, Spring 2018. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Calendar & sections
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
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Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections.
Meeting source records
Student experience
the class
Past student reviews · Christine Schwartz
Students described Christine Schwartz as a clear and approachable professor who fostered lively discussions. The review strongly recommended the class for its engaging and understandable teaching style.
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2022: 3.77 GPA, 95.5% A/AB (n=22 letter grades); Spring 2023: 3.67 GPA, 76.2% A/AB (n=21 letter grades); Spring 2024: 3.73 GPA, 83.3% A/AB (n=24 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · Christine Schwartz
The review noted that requirements were clear, though it did not specify the volume of reading or assignments. A difficulty rating of 3 suggests a moderate level of academic demand.
Past student reviews · Christine Schwartz
The student found the professor easy to understand and approachable, which contributed to a positive learning environment. Discussions were described as lively and interesting, enhancing the overall experience.
Topics
- Families as social institutions, patterns of family change, and families and inequality.
- Public debates and media representations of families.
Skills
- Designing interview guides, conducting interviews, and analyzing qualitative data.
- Producing original sociological arguments in writing and orally.
- Critically evaluating intersections of race, class, gender, and immigration status in family structures.
Grades
Latest available · Spring 2024— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
Grades over time
Through Spring 2024
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.
Sources & history
Catalog & offerings
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Catalog observation history
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Selected offering source records
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Raw records
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Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
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